System of transportation



Oct. 21 1924. 1,512,030

H VV.|(|R(:F1FIEIQ SYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION Filed July 25, 192] 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lg .%Ii. 1

Oct. 21 1924. 1,512,030

H. W. KIRCHNER SYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION Filed July 25, 192] 3 Sheets-Sheet Z oci. 21 1924. 1,512,030

H. w. KIRCHNER SYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION Filed July 25. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 rier mechanism of the general type Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATESv HENRY W. KIRCHNER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION.

Application filed July 25,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. KIRCHNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Systems of Transportation, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to transportation systems in which shipping containers are adapted to be assembled with various types of carriers to facilitate the transfer of merchandise from one carrier to another or from carrier to warehouse, and vice versa.

My invention consists of various improvements upon containers. and cooperating carclosed in my copending application Serial No. 468,397 filed May 10, 1921.

One object of my invention is-to provide means for more easily positioning the container on the carrier and to render such means efi'ectively operative when containers of different sizes are used on the same carrier. 7

An additional object of my invention is to'provide an improved container securing mechanism on the .carrier. When containers of this type are used in railway service, it is desirable that they conform to the standard outline of railway box cars, and a further object of my invention is to provide a container which is adapted to form, when assembled with other container units, a box car superstructure which will in all essentials be the substantial equivalent of an ordinary box car. I

Further objects of my invention are to more economically construct the individual containers and to render them more rigid and better adapted for transfer from carrier to carrier or warehouse.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment of my invention Figure 1 is a top view of a transportation unit comprising a fiat car upon which several of my containers are mounted. While one half of the car is shown with these containers to more clearly illustrate the detail construction, it is to be understood that the carrier may be used as h or with a 1921. Serial No. 4217;309.

maximum number of containers mounted thereon, or with any smaller number arranged in any convenient location on the carrier. 1

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the unit shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3"is an end elevation of one of the containers.

Figure 3* is a plan view partly in section of one of the containers.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the container shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section through the floor of the carrier near its transverse center and showing the container holding mechanism including a keeper element mounted on the bottom of the container.

Figure 6 is a top view of the carrier floor in the ne ghborhood of one of the container holding mechanisms and showing the latter .in retracted position.

Figure 7 is a similar View, but showing the mechanism in its projecting position in which it is adapted to secure the .container.

Figure 8 is an elevation of the side of the car showing one of the securing mechanism cf perating handles and locking devices there- Figures 9 and 10 are, respectively, a top view of and a vertical section through a container positioning device.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary end elevation of the container shown in Figure 3, but on a larger scale to better illustrate the details of its construction.

Figure 12 is a side elevational view of a modified form of handle lock.

Figure 13 is a vertical sectional View illustrating said handle lock.

Figure 14 is a perspective detail of the container keeper element.

The carrier shown in the accompanying drawings consists of a railroad flat car, but it is to be understood that for the purposes of my invention, it might be a steam-boat, a barge, or a motor truck. The floor of this car is flat to enable it to be used in the usual manner for ordinary'flatcar loads. All of the container positioning and holding mechanism is adapted to be retracted to or below the floor level so as not to interfere with such loading of the fiat car.

To provide the most elastic form of my system, the containers are made in various sizes ranging from that shown in Figures 3 and 4 to a container equal to substantially four of the containers there detailed.

In Figures 1 and 2, I show two of the smallest containers 1 and 2, a double container 3, and a quadruple container 4, the latter being located at the end of the car.

It is to be understood that these oontainers may be placed in other positions on the car and on the lefthand side of Figure 1, I have indicated in dot-and-dash lines a different arrangement of the same containers in which the smaller units 1 and .2 are located at the end of the car, and a double unit 3* is located next to 1 and 2, and the quadruple unit 4 is located nearest the center.

In order to properly assemble the carrier and the containers, it is of course necessary for the latter to be accurately placed on the carrier and to secure accurate positioning of the containers, I provide each of them with spherical protuberances 5 on its bottom and I provide the carrier floor with crater-like recesses 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, adapted to receive protuberances 5 and. automatically center the latter.

Where the container forms a portion of the end of a car, it is of course necessary that the container be turned in the right direction. Each container preferably has a sloping roof and carries a section of runningboard and it is necessary that this be rightly positioned. The single containers preferably have their side doors positioned along the longitudinal center line of the car to prevent opening of the doors except when the container is removed from the car. To avoid the turn of the container when assembled with the car so that the above essentials are not obtained, I arrange protuberances 5 and recesses 6 in such a manner that they will only cooperate when the container is turned in the right direction.

The asymmetrical arrangement shown in igure 1, provides three cooperating protuberances and craters for each of the smallest containers. These are arranged at the apices of isosceles triangles.

Positioned centrally of each triangle formed bythe craters 6, 7 8, is a container holding mechanism each comprising levers 12 and 13 mounted on parallel shafts 14 and 15, respectively, and provided with arcuate shaped engaging surfaces 16 and 17, respecttively. Shafts 14 and 15 are disposed transversely of the car and shaft 14 extends through the side sill thereof and is provided with an operating handle 18. Shaft 14 is squared to secure positive rotation of lever 12 therewith. Shaft 15 is loosely mounted on the car walls and is only long enough to rovide a suitable journal for levers 13. vers 12 and 13 are provided with intermeshed spur teeth 19 so that positive rotation of lever 12 provides a rotation of levers 13 in the opposite direction. These levers may be projected from the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 5, (where the ends of the levers form a continuation of the top surface of the car floor), to a position indicated by the solid lines in which the levers have moved over arcuate keeper elements 20 mounted on the bottom of the container. These elements 20 are here indicated as portions of a casting having a flat lower face lying in the same plane as the bottom of the container sills 32 and arcuately upwardly facing surfaces between which and the bottom of the container proper there is sufficient space for the insertion of the heads of levels 12 and 13. These upwardly facing surfaces are three in number for each container, arranged end to end, the center surface being offset transversely of the two side surfaces (see Figure 14). These a-rcuate surfaces correspond to the arcuate downwardly facing engaging surfaces of the ends of levers 12 and 13. The centers from which these arcuate engaging faces are described are the centers of the respective shafts and when the levers are in locked position any tendency of the container to tilt will be effectively resisted not only by the direct grip of the lever, but by the leverage which the lever has due to the length of the fla-t bottom surface of the keeper element 20 in contact with the top of the carrier floor.

A handle locking pawl 21 is pivoted on the side of the car in a position to engage a side of handle 18 thereby preventing rotation of the handle in the direction of the arrow A, which is the direction the handle must be turned to unlock the container holding mechanism. The engagement of pawl 21 with handle 18 is of a wedge nature and securely holds the latter. An additional precaution against unauthorized unlocking of the holding mechanism is provided in the form of a sealing wire 22 and a conveniently arranged Staple 23.

My improved container shown in the ac companying drawings is rendered rigid by the application of structural members, here shown as rolled channels 24 of.inverted .U- shape. each of which extends along two vertical edges and across the top of one side of the container. Flat bars 25 extend diagonally from the bottom of each leg of channels 24 upwardly and inwardly towards the center and top of the container where they unite and at this point have a lifting car 126 secured to them.

This construction enables the container to be lifted by cars 126 without any undue racking or wearing of the container walls. The lower ends of each bar 25 are flanged outwardly and rivetedto the adjacent ends of channels 24. Bars 25 being tension members require no stiffening flanges and thereby permit the addition of a ladder comprismg stiles 26 and 27 and rungs 28 without undue projection of the ladder from the end of the container. The stile 27 preferably consists of an angle iron riveted to the adja cent flange of channel 24 which at once stiffens the stile and protects it from side swip ing or other accident. Each of the containers is provided with a section of runningboard extending longitudinally of its highest roof portion and in addition thereto a running-board section extending at right angles to the above mentioned section along one edge of the container roof for the use of a trainman climbing to the roof of the container. IVith double and quadruple containers, the doors will be on the outside and in the case of a quadruple container, will be much wider than the doors of the single or double containers. This will enable the quadruple containers to be used for bulky merchandise, such as furniture and machinery.

In Figures 12 and 13, I have shown a modified form of handle lock in which the handle 18 mounted on the squared end of the operating shaft is provided with a recess 18*. There is a rod 30 mounted in suitable brackets on the side sill of the car, said rod carrying hooked rock arms 31 which are designed to lie along side of the handle 18 when the container engaging hooks are retracted and to enter the recess 18 with its hooked end under the operating handle when the container engaging devices are projectable between the carriers of the same or dif ferent kinds and which identical or different carriers are provided with the same craterlike recesses and fastening devices.

The staggered relation of the container keeper elements 20 is necessary because the engaging fastening devices are mounted on different centers. In the arcuate movement of these fastening devices, they pass each other in arcs of different centers, which arcs of course intersect each other. When the fastening hooks are engaged with their keepers, which keepers are provided with a flat bearing surface, in engagement with the platform of the car, it will be obvious that any movement of the keeper element in a horizontal plane or a plane parallel to the surface of the car platform, will cause the hooks to more tightly bind and grasp the keeper elements. In other words, by the construction shown neither hook will be loosened by tendencies to shift the containers or by any other force except those ,applied about their shafts.

The arrangement of the crater-like centering plates '6-7-8 and 9 l0ll, is such that, a large container can be arranged at the end of the car, as shown at the right in Figure 1, or a double or two single (unit) containers may be arranged at the end of the car. If it is desired to eventually place two single or a double container at the end of the car, and to first arrange a large container next adjacent to the space to be occupied by the smaller containers, the location of the crater-like recesses (see lefthand side of Figure 1) will prevent the large container from becoming properly seated until it is in its exact intended position. In other words, it can not overlap the space intended for the smaller containers and be properly seated; and until it is properly seated, the fastening devices can not be properly engaged therewith. This provides the necessary space required to lock the carrier with containers large or small, or both, to its maximum capacity. As shown in Figure 1, there can be four large containers arranged on the carrier, eight double containers, or sixteen small (unit) containers, or a mixture of some or all of these. The distancebetween the crater-like-recesses, say, 67 of one group being different from the distance between, say, recess 6 and the nearest crater-like recess'of the next adjacent group insures the above arrangement.

I claim:

1. The combination of a transportation carrier member and a removable freight container member adapted to be placed in different locations on said carrier, there being relatively small protuberances on one of said -members and shallow crater-like recesses on the other of said members for cooperative engagement for determining the positioning of said container on said carrier irrespeo tiv of the location of the container.

2.The combination of a transportation carrier and a removable freight container, asymmetrically arranged craters and protuberances on said carrier and container, respectively, for insuring predetermined positioning of the container on the carrier relative to the edges of the carrier and to other containers which may be mounted thereon. 3. The combination of a carrier member and a removable container member, there being asymmetrically arranged protuberanccs on one of said members, and crater-like recesses on the other of said members for eooperative engagement and locking means which are inoperative unless said protuberances and recesses are in engagement.

4. The combination ofa carrier member and a removable container member, there being protuberances on one of said members,

crater-like recesses on the other of said members for cooperative engagement, and

means for locking the parts together during such interengagement.

5. The combination of a carrier car and a plurality of removable containers each provided with typical box car equipment required to be in predetermined relation to a car body, and means for insuring the proper positioning of the containers on the carrier so that when the carrier and containers are assembled said I equipment is located in proper position relative to said carrier.

6. In combination With a carrier, 21 removable container, securing means on said carrier and container adapted to cooperate when said container is in predetermined relation to said carrier, and means for automatically positioning said container on said carrier when same are assembled so that said securing means may function.

7. In combination, a carrier, a plurality of removable containers, container positioning elements arranged on said carrier so that each of said containers can only be mounted on said carriers in a predetermined relation which will permit the mounting of the maximum number of containers on said carrier.

8. In combination, a carrier, a plurality of removable containers of different sizes, container positioning elements on said carrier so arranged that larger containers can only be mounted on the carrier in positions which will permit smaller containers to be assembled therewith to maintain the maximum capacity of the carrier.

9. In combination, a carrier, a plurality of removable containers of difierent sizes formed in multiples of the smallest unit, and container positioning elements the length of said carrier'and the location of said elements being such that said containers may only be positioned to permit complete loading of said carrier.

10. In combination, a carrier, a removable container, a group of protuberances on said container, and a plurality of groups of 00-- operating recesses on said carrier so arranged that the protuberances on said container can only cooperate with the elements of a single group of recesses on said carrier.

11. In combination, a carrier, a movable container, three positioning elements triangularly arranged on the bottom of said container, groups of three cooperating triangularly arranged positioning elements on said carrier, the distance between any two carrier elementsof separate groups differing from the distance between any two carrier elements of the same group.

12. The combination of a carrier member, a removable container member, one of said members having convex keeper elements and the other of said members having arcuate fastening elements, and means for imparting an arcuate movement to said fastening elements for engagement with said keeper elements.

13. The combination with a carrier member, a removable container member, one of said members having keeper elements and the other of said members having oppositely movable fastening elements for conjoint engagement with said keeper elements.

14. The combination with a carrier member, a removable container member, one of said members having keeper elements and the other of said members having oppositel movable fastening elements staggered wit relation to each other for conjoint engagement with said keeper elements from opposite sides.

15. The combination of a carrier member, a removable container member, keeper elements on one of said members, and movable fastening elements on the other of said members adapted, respectively, to engage said keeper elements from opposite sides and each engaging its respective keeper element substantially throughout the entire width of the latter.

16. The combination of a carrier member, a removable container member, keeper elements on one of said members, and movable fastening elements on the other of said members adapted, respectively, to engage said keeper elements from opposite sides and each engaging its respective keeper element at opposite sides of the latter.

17. In combination, a carrier, a removable container mounted thereon, a keeper element on said container havin an upwardly facing arcuate engaging sur ace, a fastening element on said carrier having a corresponding downwardly facing arcuate engaging surface, and means for moving said fastening element in the arc of said engaging surface into and out of engaging position.

18. In combination, a carrier, a removable container mounted thereon, a keeper element on said container having an upwardly facin illGllittQf engaging surface, a fasten ing e ement-Qn said carrier having a correspondinglgdownwardly facing arcuate engaging surface, said fastening element being pivoted tosaid carrier on the given center of the arc of said arcuate engaging surface,

19. In combination, a carrier, elements having arcuate engaging surfaces and prothe adjacent top edge of the container, upwardly converging elements extending from the lower portions of said member, and lifting ears secured to said elements near their convergence.

'21. In a' container of the class'described, a structural frame member located along one vertical edge of the container, and a ladder ositioned adjacent to said member with a sti e rotecte thereby.

22. n a container of theclass described, structural frame members arranged along the vertical edges of one end of said contamer, outstanding flanges on said members, inclined fiat bars converging towards each other at the top of the container, a ladder stile secured to one of said outstanding flanges, a ladder stile spaced therefrom, and rungs between said stiles extending over one of said inclined flat bars.

23. In a container of the class described, parallel walls of sheet metal, a structural stiffening member of inverted U-shape extending along the opposite vertical edges and connecting the topsof two of said parallel walls, and doors hinged to the upright portions of said member and forming substantially an entire container side.

24. In a container of the class described, a sloping roof, a section. of running-board extending along the higher edge of said roof, and a section of running-board extending along a sloping edge of said roof at right angles to said first-mentioned section.

25. The combination of a carrier and a container, a keeper on one of said parts, fastening means on the other of said parts, and means wherebywhen said keeper and fastening means are in engagement, moveline perpendicular to said lanes.

28. A carrier having plvotally mounted articulated fastening members adapted to swing about disaligned axes cooperatively engaging keeper members and whose arcs of movement overlap in a line parallel with theiraxes.

29. The combination of a carrier, a container, fastening means, means for simultaneously operating and holding certain of said fastening means projected and others retracted.

30. The combination of a carrier, container fastening means thereon, means for independently operating said fastening means for different containers, and means for collectively operating and holding said fastening means in their operative or inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 23rd day of July, 1921.

HENRY W. KIRCHNER. 

